By Anna Jett
If you’ve been to Fresh Food Company in Newcomb Hall this semester, you may have noticed a new station where the Local Taste Cart used to be. Welcome to Green Plate!
What is Green Plate?
Green Plate is Green Dining’s newest initiative to promote more climate-friendly recipes in UVA dining halls. It will replace the Local Taste Cart on Thursday nights, beginning in Spring 2024.
Green Plate promotes plant-forward eating. Plant-forward eating emphasizes the consumption of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, with animal proteins used in small portions. This means that Green Plate will often feature vegan or vegetarian dishes. If you adhere to a vegan or vegetarian diet and are ever unsure about the use of animal-products in a one of our dishes, please feel free to ask our interns at the Green Plate cart to clarify the ingredients.
If you’re concerned that the new focus on plant-forward eating means less locally sourced ingredients, don’t worry! Despite our emphasis on plant-forward recipes, all of our dishes feature locally sourced ingredients, usually from UVA’s very own Morven Kitchen Garden!
Why is Green Plate important?
Plant-forward eating benefits the environment by encouraging less meat consumption. Cutting or reducing meat in your diet is a major way to reduce your individual carbon footprint, considering the greenhouse gas emissions from meat production, especially red meats, are typically far greater than those from crop production, as shown below:
Source: United Nations
When is Green Plate?
Join us every Thursday at Fresh Food Company from 5-7pm, or until supplies run out, to enjoy a delicious plant-forward meal with locally sourced ingredients. Come make your plate, and our planet, greener!